A lot of people don’t vote, obviously. The State Board of Elections website told me that, as of Wednesday, 6.5 million North Carolina residents were registered to vote. The 2011 Census population estimate says the state has 9.6 million people.

But it’s nothing to be proud of. Those who don’t vote are uninvolved. Irresponsible. Lazy and out of touch.

Right?

We have a civic duty to vote. Our revolutionary forebears and all the military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice on our soil and in lands beyond our shores would want us to vote. They fought for our right to vote and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

But I don’t take that for granted. I’m not irresponsible, lazy or out of touch. I like to vote. I love the simple ceremonial aspect of voting. And I especially love the sticker you get when you are done.

But what if that love is taken away from me? What then?

It’s easier than ever now to vote. Missed the registration deadline? Show up during the two-week early voting period and you can register and vote in one fell swoop.

Movie stars urge us to vote. Athletes urge us to vote. Cartoon characters urge us to vote.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”

Well, yes, I can complain, actually. When you only give me two choices in every race, then I can complain.

What if I’m tired of our two major political parties and their partisans? What if I’m tired of people who will vote for whoever their party’s nominee is no matter what, as if political parties are sports franchises and voting is little more than a lifestyle choice?

What if I don’t want to cast a vote for president just because the other guy might be worse? What if, in a country with so many brilliant leaders in so many fields, I’m unhappy that we get these two job candidate finalists?

What if I’m tired of gerrymandered voting districts and the two entrenched parties working to keep third parties off the ballots and out of the debate?

Should I just go ahead and do it anyway because of a notion of duty to God and country?

A free, uncoerced vote is a precious thing. A beautiful thing. Remember the poignant photos of the people in Iraq, their fingers stained by purple ink, when they were first allowed to vote for who they wanted instead of for Saddam Hussein?

Some well-meaning (hopefully) pundits have advocated compulsory voting. I certainly think that’s the wrong way to go. North Korea’s Central Election Committee has claimed 99.9 percent turnout in some elections. What does that tell you?

If we keep voting for the candidates put forth by these two parties, won’t they continue to be the only choice? Votes and campaign dollars are what feed these beasts. Whining in a newspaper column won’t make them think twice, but withholding those two things might start to have an impact.

I think those wonderful ancestors of ours fought for our freedom and that includes freedom to choose not to vote.

City editor Brent Lancaster can be reached at blancaster@thetimesnews.com or 336-506-3040. Follow him twitter.com/tnbrentl.